Beijing Today (February 10, 2006)

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Mo’ Mozart than you can shake a baton at Page 11 BOOKS.

FRIDAY FEBRUARY 10 2006

Spring’s on the way. FASHION is looking blooming gorgeous. Page 9

NO. 245

CN11-0120

Live like a local: Temple festivals – LENS Page 8

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Disney confirms eyes on Beijing, Shanghai By Chu Meng The Walt Disney Corporation confirmed recently that it was in ongoing talks with the Chinese government on building a theme park in the Chinese mainland. Disney spokesman Bob Tucker said on Wednesday night in California that the company may build its second China theme park either in China’s capital Beijing or in the country’s economic capital, Shanghai. “We are actually keeping contact with both Shanghai municipal government and Beijing Development and Reform Commission which act on behalf of Beijing Municipal government all the time,” Tucker said. It would be difficult for Disney to make a quick decision between the two cities, Tucker said, noting that the process of choosing resort destinations involved a number of complex factors, including areas’ economic, cultural, and political environments. According to Kanas Lai, public relations officer at the company’s Hong Kong office. Disney plans to build only one theme park one the mainland of China, which means the second park will be located in either Shanghai or Beijing. Hong Kong Cable TV quoted Disney President and Chief Executive Officer Robert Iger this Monday as saying that the company has been discussing the possibility of building a Disneyland theme park in Shanghai. The company denied the rumor on Tuesday. “The Walt Disney Co has not reached an agreement with Shanghai to build a second them park in China, If we were to reach an agreement for a second park in China, it would not open before 2010,” Allanah Goss, the company’s spokeswoman told China Daily. Shanghai Municipal government spokesman Jiao Yang confirmed at a press conference on Wednesday that the city had “a long-term plan to bring the Chinese mainland’s first Disneyland theme park to the Pudong New Economic Zone,” Jiao said, however, that the final decision belonged to the State Council, and declined to reveal any details of the plans. Along similar lines, the Beijing Development and Reform Commission submitted a report to the State Council at the end of 2005 saying that during the course of the Eleventh Five-Year Plan, Beijing will build a new media industrial zone costing 10 billion yuan in the Daxing District, to the south of the city. Five to ten major multinational corporations will have their China headquarters there – including a Disneyland theme park. However, as of yesterday, the commission refused to confirm the information or reveal new details. Another important concern, Tucker said, is that building a theme park in the Chinese mainland would influence the company’s global allocation strategy, particularly in the Asia-Pacific area. In addition, discussions are sure to be affected by the Hong Kong Disneyland ticketing fiasco during the Spring Festival holiday last week. ( See page 5 for related report) Disney would first have to conduct new studies and evaluation of consumer habits in the Chinese market before making any new decisions.

AFP Photo

U2 celebrates their glory.

U2 upstages Carey with five Grammy awards T

he rock gods snatched Grammy history from the comeback queen yesterday, as perennial favorites U2 took home five trophies while Mariah Carey had to settle for three. U2 won the 20th Grammy of their careers, including album of the year for How to dismantle an atomic bomb – the same disc that earned them three awards last year. Carey, one of the best-selling artists of all time, was nominated for a leading eight awards for The emancipation of Mimi. She won three in the pre-telecast ceremony; no woman had ever won more than five in one night. But she was shut out through the televised portion. Besides losing album of the year to

U2, she lost best female pop vocal performance to Kelly Clarkson’s triumphant Since u been gone, song of the year to U2 and record of the year to Green Day. “If you think this is going to go to our head, it’s too late,” U2 frontman Bono said after the group won song of the year for “Sometimes you can’t make it on your own.” After winning the night’s big award, album of the year, Bono told Carey, “You sing like an angel.” John Legend won three awards: best new artist, best R&B album for his debut, Get lifted, and best male R&B vocal for the piano ballad “Ordinary people.” His mentor, Kanye West, also won three. Clarkson won two, including best pop album. “I’m sorry I’m crying again on national

television,” said the former “American Idol,” tearful and shaking as she held her first Grammy. “Thank you so much, you have no idea what this means to me.” Carey was the sentimental favorite, overcoming personal difficulties and a career slump to emerge with the top-selling album and the most popular song, We belong together. But her comeback was upstaged in every way. Not only did she lose in most of the major categories, even her performance was an afterthought – along with everyone else’s after the appearance of Sly Stone, the mercurial, psychedelic pioneer who disappeared from the music scene decades ago and hadn’t performed in public since 1993. (AP)

Jean Reno promotes French film in Beijing

Jean Reno

Photo by Rain Tian

By Qiu Jiaoning Renowned French actor Jean Reno kicked off the opening ceremony of the third French Film Panorama in Beijing yesterday, launching a feast of French cinema running from February 9 to 14. Reno was in Beijing to promote his latest film, The Empire of the Wolves, which was shown at the opening night. Mr Reno was not the only French celebrity in China for the occasion. A delegation of actors, directors and producers, including legendary French director Claude Lelouch, will tour three Chinese cities to present their

films and participate in post-screening discussions with the public. The Panorama will showcase some of France’s latest and most popular releases in Beijing, Shanghai and Chengdu. A selection of 12 recently released French films will be presented to a Chinese audience, including The Plane, Merry Christmas, Zaina, The Child, Nina’s Home, The Birthday, The Courage to Love, By the Pricking of my Thumbs, Not Here to be Loved, Hidden, Frankie, and The Empire of the Wolves. Viewers will be able to enjoy these films at a number of theatres and multiplexes in Beijing, Chengdu, and Shanghai. The films, chosen to represent the diversity of French cinema, span a wide variety of genres, from action to comedy from children’s films to drama. Jean Reno will also attend his solo movie exhibition, and meet his Chinese fans at the China Film Archive (CFA) theatre today. A selection of his most recent works as well as some old classics will be screened during the two-day exhibition, organized by the CFA. Born in Morocco to Spanish parents before moving to Paris at the age of 17, Reno is one of France’s top stars and is famed for his tough-guy roles both at home and all over the world. Beijingers can enjoy the 12 selected films, shown in French with Chinese subtitles, at the Sun Dong An Cinema (the 5th floor of Sun Dong An Plaza), and the Oriental New Century Plaza (Oriental Plaza). After the capital leg of their tour, the artistic delegation of internationally known producers and actors will travel to Shanghai and Chengdu to meet with the Chinese public. The closing ceremony of the Panorama will take place in Shanghai on February 14, with the entire delegation in attendance.

China blocks new cigarette companies By Han Manman Sha Zukang, head of the Chinese delegation to the UN Commission in Geneva, said at the first conference of signatory parties to the Convention on Tobacco Control on Tuesday that China will strictly control domestic cigarette production. Sha said that China will not establish any new cigarette production companies, including Sino-foreign joint ventures, and that China will step up efforts to merge and restructure existing tobacco companies and strive to host a smokeless Olympic Games in Beijing in 2008. Officials from more than 110 countries gathered in Geneva on Sunday to attend a two-week meeting in hopes of gaining increased cooperation in curbing tobacco use among the world’s 1.3 billion smokers. In November 2003, the Chinese government signed the Convention on Tobacco Control, which went into effect in August 2005. Under the treaty’s provisions, China will curb smoking in public places by implementing bans on tobacco advertising, promotions and sponsorships. EXECUTIVE EDITOR: JIAN RONG EDITOR: HOU MINGXIN ART DIRECTOR: DENG NING

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